Apparatus for electroplating



April 28, 1925.

l. J. KOEHNLINE ET AL APPARATUS FOR ELECTROPLATING Filed Aug, 16, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I f/YVf/V/"OES M 277- firrae y Nh wh mh o nooo ooooooooo v 00000000000 a Q z Gm N NwQ NNmM QNN April 28, 1925.

l. J. KOEHNLINE ET AL APPARATUS FOR ELECTROPLATING Filed Aug, 16, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 U qmfl mm A QWM .w\ MN. w W x R wa a April 28, 1925.

I. J. KOEHNLINE ET AL APPARATUS FOR ELECTROPLA'IING 3 Sheets-Sheet 55 Filed Aug, 16, 1923 1; 17mm 2 5" ,P'

Patented Apr. 28, 1925.

UNITED STATES IRVIN JOHN KO'EHNLINE, OF

IBRIDGEPORT, AND WILLIAM EARL ARMSTRONG, (3F MARTIN'S FERRY, OHIO.

APPARATUS FOR ELECTROPLATING.

Application filed August 16, 1923. Serial No. 657,757.

plating apparatus, and more particularly to.

apparatus for electro-plating the interior surfaces of articles of hollow form.

The primary object of the invention 1s to provide an apparatus whereby the inter or surfaces of interiorly threaded sockets, pipe couplings and other hollow articles may be electro-plated conveniently and in an expeditious manner.

A further object is to provide an apparatus by means of which a plurality ofarticles may be electro-plated simultaneously and in which the various required operations of cleansing, plating, washing, drying and oiling are performed in a continuous manner with a minimum number of manual handlings.

A still further object is to provide an apparatus of the character mentioned whereby hydrogen bubbles which collect about the articles under treatment are liberated from the latter for facilitating the electro-deposition of the metal coating.

With these and other important objects in view, the invention resides in the fea-' tures of construction. arrangement of-parts and combinations of elements which will hereinafter be fully described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic top plan View of the invention;

Figures 2 and 3 are sections taken respectively on lines 2-2 and 33, Fig. 1;

Figure l is an enlarged central vertical section of the plating tank;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view in top plan, illustrating the interior mechanism of said tank; and- Figure 6 is an enlarged detail section on line 6--6. Fig. 4.

Referring to said drawings, 1 indicates a circular tank for containing an electrolyte or plating bath, suitably disposed within saidtank above the bottom of the latter is a circular trackway 2 upon which is disposed for travel a plurality of small wheels 3 arranged in carrying relation to a circular table 4.

An upright shaft 5 disposed centrally of the tanl has its lower end rotatable in a suitable bearing or socket member, as 6, fixed upon the bottom of the tank, and has its upper end suit-ably journaled, as in frame members 7 and 8 superimposed upon the tank, said members constituting parts of a framework which serves as a support for drive gearing comprising a drive shaft 9, a bevel drive pinion 10 fixed on said drive shaft, a drive gear 11- operatively engaged with said pinion, and a pinion 12 carried by the vertical shaft 5 and driven by said gear 11. Splined upon said shaft 5, so as to be non-rotatable with respect to the latter while freely movable vertically thereon,

is a sleeve 13 which is disposed in fixed relation to the table 4, being suitably attached to the latter, as by means of a collar 14 threaded upon the lower end of the sleeve and bolted to the adjacent sleeve-encircling portion of thetable, as shown. A collar 15 of a suitable insulating material is introduced between the table and" the sleeve and between the table andthelcollar 14 for a purpose which will' presentlybellexplained.

' Mounted upon the upper face of the table 4,- is a flat ring 16 of asuitable insulating material, and carried on the under face of the table is a metallic ring 17 for conducting electric current. Provided in the ring 16, the table 4 and the ring 17 at suitable regularly spaced intervals is a plurality of registering tapered holes 18, 19 and 20, respectively, said holes being designed to receive in closely seated position therein the correspondingly tapered stem portions 21 of a plurality of anodes 21 of cylindrical form. An electrical current conductor 22 connects the ring 17 to the collar 14, as shown.

Carried by the upper end portion of the sleeve 13 is a circular fixed flange or collar 23 which is engaged by a spring contact 2 to which leads a conductor wire 25 forming a connection with the positive pole of an electrical circuit, said contact being carried by a suitable part of thestructure, as by the frame member 7. Constant electrical contact is made between'sifid contact 24 and the collar 23 durim rotation of the sleeve 14, which, as herein before stated, is disposed m fixed relation to the table 4.

Also carried in fixed relation to said sleeve 13, but insulated therefrom, as by a collar member 26, is a circular horizontal disk 27 against the peripheral edges of which rides a spring contact 28 to which leads a conductor wire 29 forming a connection with the negative pole of the electrical circuit. Each of a plurality of conductor wires 30 attached to and depending from said disk 27 carries a spring clip or clasp 31 of a common type adapted to be instantly attached to and detached from the upper end of an article to be electro-plated, as a coupling, a threaded hollow sleeve, or the like, which rests upon the insulating ring 16 adjacent thereto in spaced encircling relation to one of the various anodes 21.

The hollow articles 40 to be plated are held positioned against lateral movement, or in spaced concentric relation to the anodes 21, by means of taper pins 33 which have their lower ends removably seated in sockets 34 provided therefor in the table 4. Said pins also have their upper ends tapered so that, when properly positioned to suit the diameters of the articles 40, they serve to guide said articles to their proper positions as the latter are being introduced. As is manifest, numerous sockets 34 may be provided 'so that the pins 33 may be positioned to suit articles 40 of various sizes or diameters.

The trackway 2 has therein a series or. succession of inclined surfaces 2 of equal length, each terminated at its upper, or forward, end by a sharp or abrupt declivity 2". Thus, in the rotation of the table 4, the wheels 3 travel up said inclines 2*, which are relatively spaced to correspond with the spacing of the wheels, thereby elevating said table, until said declivities are reached, whereupon the wheels and the table drop over said declivities in a practically instantaneous movement. The resultant jar or shock to which the table and the articles carried thereby are thus subjected at frequent regular intervals effects the liberation of any hydrogen bubbles which may adhere by surface tension to said articles or which may be retained in screw threads or other crevices or recesses of such articles, thereby eliminating a well recognized source of serious interference with the electrodeposition of metals.

As is obvious, the electrical contact be- ,tween the spring contact 24 and the collar 23, as also the electrical contact between theshaft 5 to which it is secured against rotation by a spline 35.

The tank and associated mechanism hereinbefore described forms an essential part of an apparatus in which the articles being treated are handled in a semi-automatic manner from the time they are supplied in unplepared condition for treatment until they have been thoroughly cleansed, dried and oiled following plating thereof. Said apparatus embodies a plurality of tanks and inst-rumentalities arranged in a certain order for subjecting said articles successively to certain operations or treatments, and includes a tank 36 for containing a suitable cleansing fluid, as water or a solution of caustic and water in which said articles are initially introduced. Said tank 36 has therein a downwardly and forwardly inclined bottom, or a false bottom 36, upon which the articles deposited in the tank adjacent to its rear end roll forward to or adjacent to a stand or rack 37. Said rack is designed to have the articles deposited thereon for inspection as they are removed from said tank 36 by an attendant. Following inspection, the articles are subjected by the attendant interiorly and exteriorly to the action of a revolving cylindrical brush 38 to which may be supplied in any desired manner a cleansing material, as water and powdered pumice. Following such brushmg, the articles are thoroughly rinsed in water contained in a suitable tank (i-and are then desposited upon an inclined rack 39 from which they roll by gravity to a tank 32 which will ordinarily contain a dilute acid solution. 1, aid tank has a concave' bottom 32 which. in the revolution of a shaft 41 superposed over said tank, is closely approached by a plurality of arms 41 carried by said shaft. Said arms are designed to engage the articles delivered to said tank 32 and to convey the same forward from said tank to an adjacent rinsing tank 42, containing water, or to a surface or rack 43 which is interposed between said tanks 32 and 42 and which is inclined to the extentthat articles deposited thereon will roll by gravity to the tank 42.- Said tank 42 is similar in form to said tank 32, and the articles delivered thereto are carried forward therefrom by arms 44 carried by a revolving shaft 44 superposed over said tank 42. The articles so carried forward are delivered to an inclined draining table or rack 47 upon which they roll forward by gravity against the adjacent wall of the circular tank 1. from which they are taken up one by one by the operator and placed in position on the table 4 of said tank 1, as hercmbefore described.

As the plating 'of each article is completed, the rotation of the table being timed to effect the plating in a single revolution thereof, it is removed from the table and de- 4 age rack 48.

posited on an adjacent level surfaced drain- Disposed beneath said rack 48 isa collection receptacle 49 and an inclined drain 50 designed to receive the drainage of the plating solution from the plated articles. From time to time one'o-r more of the sufficiently drained articles are pushed forward from the rack 48 to an inclined surface 51 containing rinse Water. .-Ar1ns 53 carried by a revolving shaft 53 superposed over said tank 52 are designed to carry the articles forward through the tank and to elevate them to an inclined surface 54 on which they roll by gravity to a similar tank 55 containing hot water. Arms 56 carried by a revolving shaft 56 superposed over the tank 55 ill like manner carry the articles through said tank and deliver them to an endless slowly traveling conveyor 58 upon which they are dried by the residual heat of the articles, Said conveyor effects the delivery of the articles carried thereby to an inclined surface 59 on which they roll to a tank 60 containing oil. The articles immersed in the oil of said tank 60' are carried forward from the latter to an inclined drainage rack 61 having an upright stop or guard 61 at its front end. The articles are allowed to collect upon this ack (31 until sufficiently drained of excess oil, whereupon they are removed in finished condition.

As is obvious, some of the various opera-- tions to which the articles are subjected may be dispensed with, as. for instance, the rinsing effected in tank 52, or the final dipping of the articles in oil, in which cases the in? strumentalities for performing said opera tions may be omitted.

What is claimed is- 1. In electro-[flating apparatus, a tank for containing an electrolyte, a table arranged for rotation within said tank, an upright shaft about which said table rotates, means for driving said shaft, a sleeve splined on said shaft and rigidly attached to said table, anodes removably mounted on said table. means for holding articles to be plated on said table in spaced relation to said anodes, means connected to the positive pole of an electrical circuit supplying current to said sleeve, current conducting means between said sleeve and said anodes. and current conducting means leading from the negative pole of said circuit and ar 'angedto be detachably connected to said articles to be plated.

2. In electro-plating apparatus, a tank for containing an electrolyte. a table arranged for rotation within said tank. an uprightshaft about which said table rotates, means for driving said shaft. a sleeve splined on said shaft and rigidly attached to said table,-

anodes removably mounted on said table, means for holdmg articles to be plated on saidtable in spaced relation'to said anodes, means connected to the positive pole of an electrical circuit supplying current to said sleeve, current conducting means between Stud sleeve and said anodes, current conductmg means leading from the negative pole of said circuit and arranged to be detachably connected to said articles to be plated, and means for effecting elevation and lowering of said table at intervals in the rotation of the latter, the last-mentioned means providing for sudden lowering movements of said table whereby the latter is subjected to shocks.

3. In electro-plating apparatus, a tank for containing an electrolyte, a table arranged for rotation within said tank, an upright shaft about which said table rotates, means for driving 'said shaft, a sleeve splined on said shaft and rigidly attached to said table, anodes removablymounted on said table, an insulating ring carried by said table adapted for receiving thereon articles to be plated, means for holding such articles in spaced relation to said anodes, means connected to the positive pole of an electrical circuit for supplying current to said sleeve, current conducting means between said sleeve and said anodes, current conducting means leading from the negative pole of said circuit and arranged to be'detachably connected to said articles to be plated. and means for jarring said table at intervals in its rotation.

4. In electro-plating apparatus, a tank for containing an electrolyte, a table ar'anged for rotation within said tank. an upright shaft about which said table rotates, means for driving said shaft. a sleeve splined on said shaft and rigidly attached to said table, anodes removably mounted on said table, an insulating ring carried by said table adapted for receiving thereon articles to be plated, means for holding such articles in spaced relation to said anodes. means connected to the positive pole ofan electrical, circuit for supplying current to said sleeve. current conducting means between said sleeve and said anodes. current conducting means leading from the negative pole of said circuit and arranged to be detachably connected to said articles to be plated, and means whereby said table is elevated and suddenly dropped at intervals in its rotation for producing shocks by which hydrogen bubbles are liberated from said articles.

5.lClcctro-plating apparatus comprising a tank for containing an electrolyte, a table arranged for rotation within said tank, an upright shaft about which said table rotates, means for driving said shaft, a sleeve splined on said shaft and rigidly attached to said table, anodes remowildy mounted on said table, means for holding articles to be plated on said table in spaced relation to said anodes, means connected to the positive cleansing tanks and conveying devices ar-- ranged for the automatic cleansing and advancing of said articles following the platinv operation.

n testimony whereof We afl'ix our signa- 1 tures in presence of two witnesses.

I-RVIN JOHN KOEHNLINE. WILLIAM EARL ARMSTRONG.

\Vitnesses:

G. 0. SMITH, H. E. DUNLAP. 

